Demand for Windows 8 touch-screen PCs is strong, according to two analysts who spoke with CNET.

"Touch machines are actually selling above expectations," said Bob O'Donnell, a program vice president at IDC.

And that means supply shortages. "Some vendors are actually facing shortages because touch panels are in limited supply. Vendors are saying they can't get as many touch-based machines as they would like to meet the demand that they're seeing."

Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at IHS iSuppli, echoed O'Donnell's comments. "We've talked to a number of PC makers that are having trouble obtaining touch panels and some of the vendors I've talked to said they can't keep them on the shelf," she said.

And Microsoft has said as much. Tami Reller, chief marketing and financial officer for Windows, said last week that there are "not enough" touch devices on store shelves.

IDC's O'Donnell added, however, that non-touch Windows 8 PCs are not doing so well. "The non-touch machines are selling below expectations," he said. "If high-end machines are selling better than expected. Great. But that doesn't make up for low-end volume machines."

The Acer Aspire S7 touch-screen laptop has been in demand at Microsoft stores.
Brooke Crothers

About the author

Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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